Stewart L. Aronson
2013, 2014
Most Worshipful Brother Stewart Lee Aronson was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1949. His parents, Harvey and Isabelle (Crystal) Aronson also had a daughter, Fern (Aronson) Elinoff. In 1956 the family moved from Dorchester to Peabody, Massachusetts and Brother Aronson graduated from Peabody High School in the Class of 1967.
In 1961 he began playing guitar and in 1974 he left the family business, Aronson Barrel, a firm that reconditioned steel drums, to pursue music as a full time career. He played and sang around the North Shore of Massachusetts and New England, and in 1978 he moved to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. While there, he continued to play the guitar and began courses in Human Resources at Sierra Nevada College. In 1980 he moved to Los Angeles, California and played and sang in Clubs and contracted to do guitar and backup vocals in recording studios.
During that same year he returned to Peabody for a vacation and became extremely ill. He had surgery and spent the next month in the hospital. The insertion of a breathing tube during surgery left scar tissue on his throat and it was not possible for him to sing for the next year.
He made a decision to stay in the east rather than bring his fiancé out west. On April 5, 1981 he married Katherine J. Destino and lived in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1983 Brother Aronson and Kathy purchased a home in Beverly, Massachusetts and he began working for American Publishing Corporation as Human Resources Manager. While in Beverly, the Aronson’s had two children, Kristen and Morgan.
In March of 1986 Brother Aronson moved his family to East Kingston, New Hampshire. Active in town affairs, he served on the East Kingston Master Plan Committee, Zoning Board of Adjustment and was elected to the East Kingston School Board. He was elected At-Large from six towns to the Exeter Cooperative School Board, forming a new school district.
In 1987 he began work at Thermo Electron Corporation as Human Resources Manager. He remained with Thermo Electron until leaving employment there in 2003. While there he held a variety of assignments including relocating temporarily to Albuquerque, new Mexico to assume the role of General Manager of an acquired division of Thermo Electron. On returning to New England he was the manager of business planning, concentrating on mergers and acquisitions. He spent a period of time in the United Kingdom training managers. While there he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resources at Canterbury College. He was later promoted to Director of Organizational Services and was responsible for Human Relations, Purchasing, Facilities and Information Technology.
He began his own consulting company, Halcyon Resources, specializing in business consulting, mergers and acquisitions. On December 8, 2009 he became the President and Chief Executive Officer of NH MasoniCare and oversees the operation of the former Masonic Home, now called Evergreen Place in Manchester. He continues in that capacity today.
In May of 2000, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and she passed away on May 18, 2001. Following Kathy’s death he moved to Newmarket. On July 24, 2010 he married Mara (Gutman) Ferris and they currently reside in Exeter.
Brother Aronson’s masonic career began when he joined Gideon Lodge No. 84 of Kingston, NH. He was made an Entered Apprentice on June 1, 1989, was Passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft on July 31, 1989, and was Raised to the Subline Degree of Master Mason on September 5, 1989. He served as Worshipful Master in 1995. He is an affiliated member of Star in the East Lodge No. 59 of Exeter. He is also an affiliated member of African Lodge No. 459 Prince Hall Masons of Massachusetts. For service to his Lodge and Freemasonry, he was awarded the Major General John Sullivan Distinguished Service Medal in Bronze on January 20, 2001 and on November 15, 2003 he received New Hampshire Freemasonry’s highest award, the Jeremy Ladd Cross Medal.
He is a member of both the York and Scottish Rite. In the York Rite he is a member of Washington Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Davenport Council, Royal and Select Masters; and DeWitt Clinton Commandery, Knights Templar all of Portsmouth. He received the Super Excellent Master Degree during a session of the Grand Council of New Hampshire.
In the Scottish Rite he is a member of Ineffable Lodge of Perfection, John Christie Council, Princes of Jerusalem; New Hampshire Chapter of Rose Croix, all in the Valley of Portsmouth/Dover; and the New Hampshire Consistory in the Valley of Nashua. He served as Most Wise Master of the New Hampshire Chapter of Rose Croix in 2011 and 2012. He was Chairman of the New Hampshire Council of Deliberation Membership and Development Committee from 2005 to 2010. He prepared and presented training throughout the state for the Scottish Rite Advocate Program. The programs explains the difference between Ancient Craft Masonry, the Scottish Rite, and the other Bodies, including the history of the Scottish Rite, the government of the various Bodies and their Degrees, and how the explain Scottish Rite to Masons and non Masons. On August 30, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois, he was Coroneted a 33rd Degree Honorary Member of the Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America.
He is a member of Bektash Shriners of Concord and served as High Priest and Prophet from 2002 to 2004.
He is a member of the Eastern Star and served as Worthy Patron of Orient Chapter of Exeter in 1997 and 1998. Orient Chapter later merged with Trinity Chapter and meets in Hampton.
He has been a member of the Advisory Board of Exeter Assembly of Rainbow for Girls since 1994. Beginning in 2011 to the present he has been the Director of Masonic Relations for the Order of DeMolay. In March of 2011 he was awarded the DeMolay Legion of Honor and in March of 2014 he was created an Honorary Member of the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay.
In Grand Lodge he served as District Education Officer for the First Masonic District in 1998. He was appointed the District Deputy Grand Lecturer for the First Masonic District in 2000 and 2001 and as District Deputy Grand Master in 2002 and 2003. He was appointed to the Grand Lodge Progressive Line by Most Worshipful Brother Albert P. Burgess in May of 2004 and on May 18, 2013 he was elected and installed as the 114th Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New Hampshire.
Brother Aronson brings a wide and varied experience in both his personal and business life to the office of Grand Master. Although the road has not always been smooth, he has demonstrated his ability to rise above the adversities that life sometimes brings our way and move forward.
